Teaching Leave It
Leave it is a wonderful thing to teach your dog, and can apply to a variety of situations. Teaching leave it is easiest on a leash. With your dog sitting next to you, have a helper toss something very appealing (like a rawhide) to your dog on the floor just out of reach of the end of his leash. Let your dog go toward it, but he should stop at the end of his leash. Say ‘Fido, leave it.” and wait for him to turn back to look at you. As soon as he looks at you, reward him with a treat or a toy from your pocket. Leave it will quickly translate into “Hey, look over here for something really great!”